Illusory apparatus.



No. 872,305. I PATENTED NOV. 26, 1907. B. PURPURA.

ILLUSORY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZS. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2 Am M 6 N9. 872,305. PATENTED NOV. 26, 1907.

B. PURPURA. ILLUSORY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION mum JULY 26. 1907.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

QQPZO 20 men Rr-paral Q/Vi hwomo atto'ouu l No. 872,305. PATENTED NOV. 26, 1907. B. PURPURA.

JILLUSORY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Snmzufoz BARTOLOMEO PURPURA, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

mwsonr reserve. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1907.

Application filed July 26. 1907. Serial No. 885.661-

To all whomit may cont-em:

Be it known that I, BAn'roLoMEo Pun- PURA, a citizen of the United States, residing,

at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West. Vir inia, have invented certain new and useful In rovements in Illusory Apparatus, of whic the following is a specification.

The invention relates in general to an improvement in a paratus for producing optical illusions an particularly to one designed for amusement or exhibition purposes and adapted to induce the observer to believe the illusory result is produced without the aid of manual mani ulation-or collusion.

The main 0 ject of the invention is to provide apparatus adapted toapparently accomplish, at the will of the operator, in an exhibition cabinet, the instantaneous creation, in full viewof an audience, of a person or object and to provide means whereby said audience is reasonably assured of the im rebability of prearranged concealment of tile person or object in or near the cabinet.

Anotherobject is the provision of an apparatus of the kind described embracing a cabinet swung entirely clear of the stage floor and formed, if desired, of transparent material, said position and material of the cabinet conducing in large degree to the assurance of the audience that the creation or production tirely Without the ai of, the person or ob(jiect is accomplished enof trap doors, false panels, etc. and thus making moreefiective the illusory eil'ect produced.

Another ob'ect is to rovide an a paratus of this class w 'ch shal be highly e cient in very rapidly and noiselessly performin its function and which embraces parts whio in conjunction with the sudden ap earanceof the person or ob'ect, are adapts to present a pleasingensem leto the observer or'audi- The invention will now be described in the following specification, taken in connection with the accom anying drawings, and vthen more articularly pointed out in the claims. In t e drawings: Figure 1 is a pers ective of my illusorg apparatus, the usua sta e drapings not eing shown. Fig. 2 is a si( e elevation of a spring-actuated screen'used'in conjunction wit the cabinet shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates four such screens as shown 7 person concealed and the means for supportin Fig. 2 folded, in plan, looking from the top. Fig; 4. is a broken perspective showing the ing her. Fig, 5' is a top lan of the cabinet and supporting frame, ilustrating the arran ement of mirrors and the trap in the top of the cabinet. Fi 6 is a perspective ofthe whole apparatus, 'il ustrating the appearance of the device immediately subsequent to the production of the person. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cabinet removed from t e frame, illustrating the means for suporting the screens, the latter being omitted. ig. 8 is a top plan of the screens and supporting plate. Fig. 9 is a broken perspective view, showing the means for suspendin the supporting plate from the top ofthe ca inet.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, 1, 2, 3, and 4 denote uprights forming the four corners of amain sup orting frame, surmounted by an and supporting from its lower end, in any.

well-known or usual manner, a cabinet 9,

shown in the drawings as composed entirely of transparent material, such as glass or the like and of octagonal form, though the invention contem lates making the cabinet of any desired outline. and material, as me be found appropriate for the purposes 0 the articular illusion to be accomplished. As

illustrated the cabinet 9 is formed with top. '10 and bottom platform 11 each formed of material similar to the bod of the cabinet in order that, in the case w ere the material is glass,'the audience or observer may have unobstructed view entirely. through the cabinet and be assured of the aba perfectly sence of trap doors, false panels or the like.

Four of the sides of the cabinet illustrated are provided at their lower edges with hm cs.

12 to-permit the dropping of said sides t9 esired lowered position, as illustrated in Fig. 6,

' small spring catches 12', adapted for instantaneous release, securely holding said sides in to ena le the operator to pass a wand normal ,upright engagement with the cabinet top when desired. Detachable braces 13 connect the outer edges of the cabinet platform to the lower ends of the frame and hold the cabinet-in correct relative position thereto, the cabinet by this construction, as shown,

' ranged at an angle to each other of approxilar as to construction and material.

mately 90 with the apex toward the front of the cabinet and rea'chingto the central point of the top thereof, are two plate mirrors 14 and 15 extending to the top of the dome structure and the full width of the same, the meeting line of the mirrors being, as far as practical, obliterated. A horizontal platform 16, extendin across the backpart of the dome of the frame and supported between the mirrors and sufficiently raised above the lower edges of the same to insure entire removal from the plane of vision of the audience, is adapted-to support the person or object forming the subject of the 1llu- S1011, as illustrated in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. An a proximately triangular opening, hereina ter termed the trap, 16', formed in the top of the cabinet, behind the mirrors, provides means for the descent of the person concealed into the cabinet when desired, and of course, is entirely outof view of the audience, as will be evident. r

1'7 denotes one of a plurality of folding screens, preferably four in number and simi- Each screen is formed of a. numberof sections 18, 19, 20, and 21, as shown in Fig. 2 said sec tions being connected each to the immediately'adjacent section by means of spring h1nges22, a rigid stiflening strip 23, positioned centrally of eachsection' serving to sufficiently brace the respective sections. Each section is formed of a centralmember 24 and two side members 25, all of approximately triangular outline, the latter being omed to the central section through the me- (hum of spring hinges 26, similar in construction and function tohin es 22. The function of hinges 26 is to a a t the side members 25 to be folded bac 'on the central.

member of their respective .screen sections, the dnnens'lons of said s1de members being such that when so folded they will lie enbeing in folded position, the sections are then each folded back u on the immediately adjacent sectionresu ting in the Whole screen assumlng a fiat, approximately triangular form, the four screens whencompletely folded and lying in operative position, .presenting the appearance shown in Fig. 3. It is contemplated to form these screens of light, strong wire, in order that as little space as possible may be required under the top of the cabinet, where they are positioned previous to the production of'the subject of illusion, to accommodate them. The screen' sections are mounted upon a supporting plate 30, slidably movable on guide-rods 31 fixed in the cabinet floor and top, said screen sections being connected with the plate 30 by springs 32 which are tensioned to force the screen sections outward into a plane,

with the plzite when the sections are released, as shown in Fig. 6. In arranging the parts for o eraticn, the screen sections are dispose in folded relation and tem orarily secured by cords 33 after which t e plate is elevated into contact with'the under side of the top of the cabinet, where a hook 34, carried by the plate 30, is engaged with a revoluble catch member 35 to secure the plate in elevated position. As the screen sections in this position are secured between the plate 30 and the top of the cabinet, the cords 33 are withdrawn, leavin the parts ready for op- J eration. The catc 1 35 has a handle member f screens for the short space-of time required.

Of course it will be understood that the cabinet and-frame will-be surrounded bythe usual cloth inclosure (not shown) formed of appropriate material, such as velvetorother desired cloth and of roper dimensions, a topcovering of suitab e construction and arrangement being provided in order to conceal the cabinet and frame from an observer in the fliesof the theater.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Assuming that the o eratorwishes to produce the impression 0 apparently instantaneously creating a person at will, said person is, previous to the withdrawing of the cloth inclosure from in front of the cabinet, concealed on platform 16 behind the mirrors in a recumbent position, as shown, in Fig. 4,

the audience being of course deceived into believing, by means of the mirrors and ap-- propriately-arranged stage side lights, that 1t has unobstructed vision entirely through the dome of the cabinet as well as through the body thereof, the side walls of the abovementioned velvet inclosure, being reflected in said mirrors, as is obvious, and tending to erases cealed person releases the supporting plate,

i completely as before described, which imlnedlately throws the several screens to full extension,

while the person concealed behind the mir-' rors drops quickly on the bottom of the cabinet in upright position, the artificial flowers concealing her descent, which of course ta es place as rapidly as possible,

while almost simultaneously the spring catches 12 are released, through the medium of'pull cords 27 attached to the same and passing through ap ropriately positioned pulleys 28 and throng a guideformed on the upper end of.- one of the rear uprights of the supporting frame and thence down to and through a ulley' 29 on the lower end of the same uprig t and thence to the operator, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 5, and 6. Said release of catches 12' allows the four hinged sides of the cabinet tofall to lowered position, as illustrated in Fi 6 and discloses the person to the view of t e audience, apparentl created at the will or the operator, the arti 'cial flowers and screens falli-n of course, with their respective sides 0%, cabinet.

While-I have shown the cabinet as composed of glass I wish it to be understood that among other material contemplated to be used, metal is particularly designated when the illusion )opularly known as Cremation is tobe perlormed, 1n which event of course, the person is shown to the audience within the cabinet, the usual manipulation of stage fire accomplished to conceal the disa pearance of the .person through the tra 'm the top of the cabinet, and the cabinet( isclosed em ty to the audience.

' do not wish to be limited to the precise form and structure shown and described herein but toavail myself of any adapta tions which fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' open-work frame, a cabinet supported between the extremes of the frame, and objectconcealing means arranged above the cabinet, said means including angularly related mirrors. a

3. An illusory apparatus comprisin an open-work frame, a cabinet supports between the extremes of the frame, and obj ectconcealing means arranged above the cabinet, said means including mirrors arranged at right angles with respectto each other.

4. An illusory device comprising a'frame the havin an u per dome section, a cabinet. su orte within the frame and spaced from t 1c )ottom thereof, and Qb ect-cOncealing moans arranged in the dome section.

' 5. An illusory apparatus comprising a frame having a dome section, a cabinet suported within the frame, a rod dc ending rom the dome apex and secured to t 10 cabinet top, and mirrors extending from said top to the side walls of the dome.

6. An illusory apparatus comprising a frame having a dome section, a cabinet supported within the frame, a rod depending cm the dome apex and secured to t 1e cabinet to mirrors extending from the rod to the si e walls of the dome, and a supporting platform arranged in rear of the mirrors.

. 7. An illusory devlce comprising a frame, a cabinet sup orted between the extremes of the frame, 0 j cot-concealing means supported .by the frame above the cabinet, and a platform supported in rear of said means be-' tween the upper and lower edges thereof.

8. An illusory device comprising a frame, a cabinet supported within the frame, and ob'ect-supporting means arranged above the ca inet, the upper portion of said cabinet being formed until an opening conveniently accessible from the supporting means.

'9. An illusory device comprising aframe, a cabinet supported within the frame, obj ectconcealing means extending from the top of the cabinet to the upper portion of the frame, said concealing means having forward reflecting surfaces disposed at right angles to each other, and an objcct-supporting means arranged in rear of the concealing means, the upper portion of the cabinet being formed wit an openingin advance of the supporting means. a

10. An illusor device comprising a frame, a transparent caliinet supported between the extremes of the frame, and obj cot-concealing means arranged above the cabinet. 7 11. An illusor device comprising a frame, a transparent ca inet supported therein and includin a bottom, a top and side walls, the

side wal s having hinged connection with the bottom, and object-concealing means supported within the frame above the cabinet.

12. Anillusory device comprising a frame, a cabinet supported therein, object-concealing' means arranged above the cabinet, and a collapsible structure supported within the cabinet.

13. An illusory device comprising a frame, a cabinet supported therein, object-concealin means arranged above the cabinet, an independent structure supported within the cabinet, said structure comprisin collapsible sections, and means for normally holding said structure collapsed.

"14. An illusory device comprising a frame,

a cabinet supported therein, object-concealing means'arranged above the cabinet, a col lapsible structure supported within the cabiwithin the cabinet, said structure comprising 10 net, means/for securing said structure in 001- a series of foldable sections and a spring lapsed condition, and means for automatically hinges connecting the sections. projecting said structure upon release of said In testimony whereof I have affixed my 5 securing means. signature, in presence of two witnesses.

151, An illusory device comprising a frame, BARTOLOMEO PURPURA.

a. cabinet supported within the frame, object- Witnesses: concealing means arranged above the cabi- JOHN GLENN, net, and a "collapsible structure supported C. M. DRIEHOUSTL 

